When kids were mother, governor, sultan & bishop for a day

It didn’t matter whether six-year-old Daisy Ogbeide was almost lost in her habit, or that Solomon Ogadje struggled successfully for the skull cap to sit comfortably on his 12-year-old head. It also didn’t count that the turban around the head of 15-year-old Samuel Aiki almost covered the whole of his face or that 14-year-old Fabian […]

It didn’t matter whether six-year-old Daisy Ogbeide was almost lost in her habit, or that Solomon Ogadje struggled successfully for the skull cap to sit comfortably on his 12-year-old head. It also didn’t count that the turban around the head of 15-year-old Samuel Aiki almost covered the whole of his face or that 14-year-old Fabian Okonji actually did look like a younger version of the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal.
It was all part of the entertainment, fun and humour when these children and their peers from Holy Family Nursery/Primary & Secondary Schools Sokoto, presented a drama entitled ‘Bakhita,’ to the delight of their parents and other guests who watched them perform.
The event, which took place on the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, patroness of the Catholic Secretariat in Sokoto, was also part of celebrations marking the official presentation of the child protection policy document for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sokoto.
The aim was for the children – who took on the roles of various leaders – to take front seat as they represented principal, religious and state personalities.
Although the sketch was a re-enactment of the life of the saint, the youngsters in the narratives of their speeches and actions showed off their ability to be self-reliant as well as their competence to take steps in the right direction, when given the right lead.
Some of them shared behind the scene moments with Weekend Magazine.
“At first, I was nervous but when my acting was followed with applause, I felt a quick relief because with that I knew I was doing well,” said Okonji, who by some measure already related with Tambuwal.
In very articulate words he said: “I knew him as the former Speaker of the House of Representatives and when he later contested for governorship in Sokoto State and won. I also knew him as a neat person because he always wore white-on-white attire.
“I know he is the present Governor of Sokoto State and that he has made sanitation day a more serious activity here in Sokoto. He also fixed better traffic lights in the state,” he said.
Such stints at political stardom do not come without aspirations and Okonji made sure to express his goals if he were to serve as governor.
He said: “If I were the governor of Sokoto State, I would build schools where not only first class, second class or only a few citizens can attend, but a school where children who are unfortunate can go and learn and have a proper education. I would also support faith-based schools. This is because they have trained us to accept and to tolerate one another irrespective of our different cultures and religious beliefs.”
For her one day shot at being Rev Sr. Jacinta Nwoahiri, O.P. Prioress General of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, Gusau, Ogbeide was confident that she played out her role as mother superior as convincingly as could be and would have done a good of checking anyone who needed some disciplining if it came to that.
Sr. Esther Upaa, who prepared the children, said students were randomly chosen to play the different roles and were given speeches according to the roles they played.
She said: “For instance, Fabain Okonji who acted as the governor of Sokoto State delivered a speech on behalf of the governor. Loveth Ogwuche gave a speech as chairperson of the school’s Parents’ Teacher Association.”
St. Bakita was a Sudanese-born reverend sister who belonged to the Canossian Religious congregation. She died in 1947 and was canonised in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.